Integration and management apparatus, integration and management system and computer readable information recording medium

Abstract

An integration and management apparatus is connected via a network to an information processing apparatus including at least one software program running thereon. The integration and management apparatus includes a storing part that stores a linkage software component for performing a function linkage process using a program interface provided by the software program running on the information processing apparatus, an analyzing part that analyzes the linkage software component to obtain a setting for the function linkage process, and obtains a linkage program corresponding to the setting from the linkage software component, and an executing part that executes the obtained linkage program to perform the function linkage process using the program interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An integration and management apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of information processing apparatuses, the integration and management apparatus comprising:
 a processor that, in communication with a memory, executes a process of communicating with the information processing apparatuses to obtain software programs having program interfaces that are made public and used for a linkage process performed by the integration and management apparatus in collaboration with the information processing apparatuses via the network, linkage programs for performing the linkage process, and setting information for enabling the linkage programs to collaborate with each other via the program interfaces of the software programs to perform the linkage process;
 analyzing the setting information to determine a relationship between the linkage programs that collaborate with each other to perform the linkage process; 
 in response to a function providing request from a user, determining whether the analyzed setting information includes a linkage function where a same function or different functions realized by multiple programs are used mutually by the multiple programs; and 
 when the analyzed setting information includes the linkage function, executing the linkage programs based on the analyzed setting information to perform the linkage process via the program interfaces of the software programs obtained from the information processing apparatuses. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The integration and management apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the linkage process includes a linkage between a function for delivering a scanned document and a function for managing the delivered scanned document. 
     
     
       3. A method performed by an integration and management apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of information processing apparatuses, the method comprising:
 communicating with the information processing apparatuses to obtain software programs having program interfaces that are made public and used for a linkage process performed by the integration and management apparatus in collaboration with the information processing apparatuses via the network, linkage programs for performing the linkage process, and setting information for enabling the linkage programs to collaborate with each other via the program interfaces of the software programs to perform the linkage process; 
 analyzing the setting information to determine a relationship between the linkage programs that collaborate with each other to perform the linkage process; 
 in response to a function providing request from a user, determining whether the analyzed setting information includes a linkage function where a same function or different functions realized by multiple programs are used mutually by the multiple programs; and 
 when the analyzed setting information includes the linkage function, executing the linkage programs based on the obtained setting information to perform the linkage process via the program interfaces of the software programs obtained from the information processing apparatuses.